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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. present — the time now
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. march — the month
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. present — a gift
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. wound — an injury
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. present — there
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wake — before a funeral

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com